Hiddlesworth Sailors
by Laura JN
Summary: Captain Tom Hiddleston eyes up the new recruits after navigating the ship away from a ferocious storm, but why does Private Chris Hemsworth stand out so much? And what will happen if the storm comes back?


-1982-

The rolling waves crashed against the side of the HMS Badger, tossing the ship about the fathomless sea. Captain Hiddleston was steering the boat through the storm, however, carrying her safely away from the larger waves. He smiled as he skilfully pulled off an evasive manoeuvre into a calmer stretch of water. After they were clear of the storm, he told his Lieutenant to fetch the new recruits. He had been meaning to speak to them since they left port, but the storm had come on quickly, and he was needed at the wheel. When the men arrived, they lined up in front of him, and he handed the wheel to Lt. Evans.

Captain Hiddleston scanned the men with analytical eyes, judging their capability with his years of experience on the ocean. He continued scrutinising the recruits, until his gaze fell upon a particularly well built man. He was tall, broad, and his jaw was coated in pale brown stubble. This man was rough, and not used to formalities. Tom's eyes flickered to the man's name tag,

"Private Hemsworth." He studied the man for his style of response. He wanted to know exactly how this officer would be of use to him. He wanted to know if he was all action and no talk.

"Sir." The Private responded,

"You'll call me Captain at sea Private." Tom corrected him,

"Aye Aye, Captain."

"Good. Now tell me Private, why did you want to join the navy?" Tom's eyes narrowed, determined to catch all subtext and truth in the man's answer,

"I want protect the people I care about Captain." Tom was taken aback. He had not expected such a straight forward answer. Most men chose to try and impress him by speaking of queen and country, or how they wanted to fight for a greater cause than themselves. But this man was honest through and through. Tom liked that. He liked it, but it would get this man nowhere. He had a lot to learn if he was going to survive out here. Tom could help him with that though, and strangely, he found himself wanting to.

"Very good. Now listen up all of you. This is my ship, and I want you to know that I don't intend to let it go down. If it does, I won't leave until the last man is safely out. You got that? I'm not just here to shout orders at you. Otherwise, prepare to follow every command without question. Dismissed."

Chris noted the rough undertone to the captain's smooth voice. He was articulate, and yet he had hesitated when testing him. Chris found that he was looking forward to his next encounter with the captain, though he wondered if this would happen any time soon. It appeared that the captain spent most of his time in his cabin, particularly in bad weather, while the crew were usually busy at the other end of the ship. Chris was so low down the chain of command that he would be cleaning and preparing things most of the time, rarely getting involved in the important meetings and planning of the course. He understood this though. He knew none of the important work could happen without the support of the new officers. He was however, an _officer_. He was a fully trained, and fully qualified Naval Private, and yet here he was, filling a bucket with water, and taking a mop to swab the deck with.

Chris was already the size and shape of some of the more experienced crew, unlike most of the new comers who were a little skinny and nervous. Over the first few days at Sea, Chris had quickly adapted to the way of life of a sailor, whereas some of his comrades were quickly discovering that they were unsuited to the long periods of time away from land. Chris thought about how he would keep his own morale up, in the coming weeks away from home.

Captain Tom Hiddleston was sitting in his chair, legs crossed elegantly, as he reclined, and tilted his head back into the seat. He was thinking about the strategy he would need to put into play in order to navigate safely past Africa, without going too far away from the land. He knew that it was both practically and politically dangerous around there at the moment, and his superiors at the British Naval base had insisted that he proceed with extreme caution. He was a good captain though, and he had faith in his crew. The HMS Badger would keep them alive.

After an hour, the storm began to pick up again. The waves chopping heavily against the brig, and the wind lowering visibility. Tom had to leave steering to his lieutenant again to go and oversee his men. He had to give them orders before he could take over the wheel. He bawled at them to take cover below deck, however as they began filing down through the door, a huge wave crashed into the side of the ship.

"Man overboard!" One officer called,

"I'll get him, you keep going." Captain Hiddleston barked back, before rushing over to where the man had fallen.

Chris had been knocked from his footing by a sudden rock of the boat. He would have managed to hold onto the side of the ship, had the wind not picked up at that second, and sent him off balance, into the water. He fell several meters under, before he managed to begin propelling himself up to the surface. He gasped for breath, as his head broke through the water's surface. He looked around him, but he was the only one who had fallen in. He tried swimming towards the ship, but the current was strong. He gazed up, hoping that he would be seen, knowing that he would die if they left without him. He was much too far away from the shore, and these waves were so high. He held his breath as a huge wave crashed over him. When he resurfaced, he gazed up at the ship.

There was no sign of anyone knowing that he had fallen, so he tried shouting. It was no good though, he was too far out now, and too low down to be seen or heard. He had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, as he realized how helpless he was in this situation. All the knowledge in the world could not save him now, or so he thought. He looked up one last time, at that moment, to see a familiar face looking down at him.

Captain Hiddleston could just make out the figure below, struggling to stay afloat above the surface. He recognized the man as Private Hemsworth, and stood there for a moment, watching, as the man would not give up on trying to save himself. He valued life: This, instantly gained Tom's respect. He knew the Private was stronger, more capable, but Tom was experienced, and knew the best tactics for fighting the waves. It was an easy decision, if the weather was any worse, then he would never consider this, but as they were, he could beat them. He swiftly removed his shoes, before he grabbed the end of a sturdy rope, and jumped over the side of the ship.

The water was a cold shock to his skin, but the experience was not new to him. He soon helped his body adjust as much as it could, by continuing to swim towards Private Hemsworth. He held the end of the rope between his teeth. If this had happened anywhere else, he could not have done this, but they were nowhere near the Arctic currents. He finally made it over to the Private, to discover that the man was using his strength to his advantage. He had seen the captain jump, so he had used the time to steady his breathing, to stay above the water,

"Good man." The captain slapped him on the shoulder, before handing him the rope. "Hold this, and we'll pull ourselves back to the boat. Then we'll climb up." The Private nodded. He wanted to tell the Captain to go first, but he could not disobey a direct order, so soon into his new post. Chris was gasping, having fallen under the surface several times now, and though he still had strength in his muscles, his lungs were barely holding out. Tom noticed this as they reached the side of the ship.

"You holding out okay there Private?" He asked, genuine concern in his voice. He could see the man slipping around the edge of consciousness. Had he swallowed too much water?

"I think, I'll be fine Captain, please go on up." He insisted. Tom eyed him up.

"No I think you should go first." He ordered. Chris nodded, and began climbing the rope. He was a strong man, and the rope was no challenge really. Except that he could barely breathe, and he was barely conscious, so half way up the rope, he fell back into the sea. Tom reached out at the last second to grab his hand, dragging him back up to him. When he pulled Chris towards him, he could see that he really had swallowed too much water. He was awake, just, but his eyes were half closed and unfocused. His breathing was erratic. The Captain frowned, he had never dreamed in his entire career that he would actually need to perform CPR. Usually there would be medical staff or subordinates around him that could deal with this sort of thing, but now he was faced with the task. Chris was already pale, and far too cold. Tom swallowed. He found himself licking his lips anxiously. He had never performed CPR on a man before, but his professionalism kicked in at that moment, and he held Chris's nose, before pressing their lips together, and breathing into him. He withdrew, before breathing harder, and harder. The sensation was strange to him, kissing the mouth of a man more physically masculine than himself. They were not soft like the silky skin of a lady, but firm and somehow more solid. Tom told himself not to think about this, while he breathed life back into the man.

Chris was barely awake. He could feel the cold splashes of water all around him, and the burning sensation at the back of his throat. What was that? And then he felt something that blocked out all of the other things he was experiencing at that moment. He could feel lips pressing against his. He could feel warm breath entering his mouth and lungs. It eased the burning sensation, and helped him to regain focus. When he could finally breathe for himself again, he broke away from the kiss, and coughed over the other man's shoulder. The captain patted him hard on the back, helping him to bring up the water he had swallowed. When Chris finally stopped choking, Captain Hiddleston slung the heavily muscled man over his shoulder. He might not be as well built, but he had mastered the techniques needed to do this. He balanced the Private's weight carefully, before taking hold of the rope with both hands. Chris grabbed on to the material of the other man's jacket, barely aware of who was carrying him. All of his thoughts were a little blurry.

Back in his cabin, Tom laid the man down on a cushioned window ledge, before locking the door behind them. He strode back over to the Naval Officer, before kneeling down beside him. He swept the man's hair out of his eyes,

"Are you alright now? Can you breathe?" He asked. Chris nodded. He felt foolish and embarrassed for being seen in such a weak state by his captain. They had only been at sea for a few days, and he had already blown it probably. "Good." The captain looked genuinely relieved though, and did not appear to be considering the best way of letting Chris know that he was fired.

"Did the other men make it below deck?" Chris asked, wanting to show that he was mentally focused again now,

"I believe so. There have been no reports of other men overboard. If anyone else had been on deck, I think they might have seen us don't you?" Chris nodded, before blushing at the memory. He was horrified to feel his cheeks burning, and tried to cover his face with his hands, "Are you sure you're okay? You look as if you might have a fever." The captain's eyebrow raised, as he lightly grabbed Chris's hand, and tried to move it away. As he moved the man's hand, he saw the colour in his face.

"I'm fine Captain, really..." Chris began,

"Nonsense, you've gone red. Let me take your temperature. It won't take a moment." Tom stood up to go and fetch the thermometer from his first aid kit. Chris watched him as he walked over to his desk. At least he had not realized that Chris was blushing. How could he have a high temperature after falling in the sea though? Surely the captain was more intelligent than that. Chris's question was answered for him upon the captain's return.

"Open wide." He ordered. _Oh God_, thought Chris. How many times would this man be involved with his mouth today? This was becoming more than a little awkward. And he could feel his breathing getting harder and deeper again. Strangely however, as the captain poked the thermometer under his tongue, he realized that it was not awkward. In fact he was beginning to realize, that despite being freezing cold, half unconscious and barely breathing, he had enjoyed being kissed by the captain. Stranger still, this thought did not worry him, so much as thrill him. He felt an adrenaline rush. He wanted more. He looked up at the Captain, who was leaning in close to get the reading on the device.

"35.5, I was right. We need to get you warm." Hardly a fever, Chris thought. He was far too cold though. "Strip." Tom ordered. "You need to get out of those wet clothes. Put on something dry." Chris just blinked at him for a moment. Strip? The captain was asking him to strip? Was this considered normal behaviour after a first kiss? What was he thinking, it was purely for practical reasons. Chris slowly sat up, and began removing his shirt.

Tom drank in the sight, as Chris began to undo his buttons one by one. He watched the strong, male hands as they worked their way down his body. He watched the skin and muscle of Chris's chest being revealed as the wet, pale shirt was drawn back from his torso. Tom had to fight the urge to take the rest of his clothes off for him. He had to fight to keep his own clothes on. He tried to hide the look on his face, by searching for a towel for the man to dry himself with.

Chris undid the zip of his trousers hesitantly, checking to make sure that he had everything under control. To his relief, he discovered that it was safe to remove them. He shrugged them off of his legs, removing his socks in the process. He paused, as the captain walked over with a fluffy blue towel, navy of course. He took it from him, wondering if he should be removing his boxers as well. They were soaked through. The captain saw the conflict in his eyes,

"You almost drowned, dry off and get changed. I need to contact my lieutenant on the intercom so I'll just look the other way." He smiled reassuringly before walking over to his desk. Chris sat there for a moment, wondering where these dry clothes were supposed to be coming from. He was_ so_ cold now it was no joke. He just continued rubbing himself dry with the towel, but it was no use. The friction of fluff failed to warm him up, only to make him slightly less drenched. He ran the towel over his hair, but it continued dripping steadily down his neck and back.

The captain finished his call in seconds, only needing to check in with his subordinates and make sure that they knew where he was. He then walked over to a cupboard and pulled out a fresh uniform. He handed it to Chris.

"Sorry to keep you waiting- Oh I'm so sorry." He realized how violently the man was shivering, despite all that body mass, he was utterly frozen. "Stand up." He ordered. Chris rose to his feet, pulling the towel around his shoulders, unsure of what the captain was going to do. "Don't tell the other men." Captain Hiddleston said, before wrapping his arms around the trembling, yet larger man. In any other state, Chris might have pushed the captain away. Except that he really needed the warmth, and he really wanted to be held by this man. He took this as a sign that he could fold his own arms around the back of the captain. This really should have felt awkward, but instead it was comforting, warm and inviting. Somehow, this thinner man, was able to make him feel safe. He had never felt like that before. His own father had been far larger and more muscular, but he had never felt comfortable in his arms.

The two stayed like that, until Chris stopped shivering as much. Tom held him tighter, wanting to make sure that he was warm enough. He felt responsible for the Private, having saved him. He also felt strangely protective over him. What was this man doing to him, that was making him feel a sudden lack of control. He wanted so badly to regain that control. But how to do it? He had to be master of his own heart and head, that was the only real answer.

Chris felt that he should let go, so that the captain did not catch on to his feelings, but when he tried to pull away, the captain pulled him back. The captain was wet too, having also been in the water, he suddenly realised, but he was not shivering like Chris had been. The captain had clearly been at sea many times, and was used to colder climates. Chris suddenly felt warm lips crashing into his. He was so surprised that he leaned into the kiss, parting his lips against the captain's. As the kiss deepened, Chris felt his own body heat returning. Suddenly there was a warm hand around his erection, stroking him over the stretched material of his boxers. He moaned at the intimacy of it, the shock of being pleasured by this brave and seductive creature. Then teeth caught his lower lip, and his finger's clenched around the captain's shoulders.

At the sound of the Private's groans and whimpers of pain and pleasure, Tom ventured further into his new found curiosity. He reached his hand deep into his subordinate's boxer shorts, and caressed along the strength of his arousal. He kissed him deeper, caressing his tongue over the other man's lips, before he began pushing the man backwards, and onto the cushioned window seat. He lay the man down gently, before pulling off his boxers. They had not spoken since he had taken a hold of the man, but now he wanted to whisper dark and spicy secrets into the man's ear. He leaned closer to Chris's face, before telling him that he would be the first man to kiss him, to bed him, and that he was his now. Chris moaned again, in agreement, before Tom sank back down to lick and tease the tip of his cock. He was throbbing with need now, and he was not sure that he could take this much longer. He had to release. Tom gave him a cheeky yet charming smile, before returning to stroking his hands down the length of Chris's need.

After finally reaching a climax, Chris relaxed, and decided that the other man needed tending to. The captain was still fully dressed, but his acceptance had given Chris the confidence boost necessary to take matters into his own hands. He grinned, and tossed the other man onto his back. Whipping off his jacket and pulling his shirt apart. He began placing kisses along the front of his chest, causing Tom to arch his back in surrender. He tried to fight it though, he was not the submissive type. He wrestled with Chris for dominance, but Chris was pulling off his shoes, socks, trousers, boxers, before taking him deeply into his mouth. Tom growled,

"Behave." He said through his teeth. Chris smiled, knowing he would disobey this particular order. Unfortunately at that moment, the ship hit an poorly positioned, large, iceberg.


End file.
